Car top camping shelter

ABSTRACT

Improvement in a car top carrier permitting its use as a camping shelter supported on the automobile and permitting removal of the car and support of the shelter on the ground.

United States Patent Lowe [54] CAR TOP CAMPING SHELTER [72] Inventor: Lyall Lowe, 517 Dakota Avenue, South Sioux City, Nebr. 68776 [22] Filed: June 8,1970

[21] Appl. No.: 44,088

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,111,955 11/1963 Green ..l35/1 A [15} 3,655,077 [4 1 Apr. 11, 1972 3,160,434 12/1964 Hedgepeth ..224/42.l E 2,683,265 7/1954 Wayne ..224/42.l E X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,270,934 7/1961 France ..l35/1 A Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-George F. Abraham Attorney-Lucas J. De Koster [5 7] ABSTRACT Improvement in a car top carrier permitting its use as a camping shelter supported on the automobile and permitting removal of the car and support of the shelter on the ground.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 1 1 I972 INVENTOR. Lyull Lon BY Z1,

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CAR TOP CAMPING SHELTER BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains to car top carriers and more particularly to a carrier of the type shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,447,727 in which by means of novel adjustments, the carrier can be used as a camping shelter supported alternatively from the car or from the ground. 4

Previously there have been many types of camping shelters proposed. Some of these have been readily carried in auto top carriers. One common type was a tent-like device which unfolded from the top carrier and extended to the ground alongside the car. Another type of shelter utilizes a carrier with a top which can be raised to provide shelter and sleeping space. This latter device requires a ladder or similar device so that the occupant can get into and out of the shelter. In neither of these devices is it possible to separate the car from the shelter.

By my invention I make possible a shelter readily collapsed into a car top carrier. The shelter can be used as sleeping quarters either on top of the car by raising the top of the shelter, or free standing on the ground. When free standing, the shelter is arranged so that the base can be lowered to avoid the necessity of climbing up to get into the enclosure.

FIGURES FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the carrier standing on the ground with the shelter opened, and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detailed view of a clamp which may be used to hold the carrier on the car.

DESCRIPTION Briefly, my invention comprises a carrier to be carried above the top of an automobile by posts supported from lower parts of the car. The posts are adapted also to stand on the ground so that the carrier may be free standing. The carrier may be opened to a substantial spread between top and bottom by sliding either the top upwardly or the base downwardly.

More specifically and referring to the drawings, my device includes a generally rectangular base which may be in the form of a box or the like adapted to be carried above the top of an automobile 11. The box is preferably enclosed by a cover 12. Both the box and the cover are provided with tubular support members. The large support members 13 on the box (FIG. 3) embrace laterally extending supports 14 running from clamping member 15. The smaller support members 16 on the top 12 embrace angular members 17. Each of the support members 13 and 16 slidably embrace the lateral member, and each includes a clamping screw so that the support member and therefore the box 10 or top 12 can be laterally adjusted before the screw is clamped. In this way, the box 10 and the top 12 are held in place by the screw after clamping.

Each clamping member slidably embraces an outer post 19. These posts are arranged to be in place adjacent the sides of the car 11 where they may be clamped to a fender of the car as shown in FIG. 5 or to a rocker panel as illustrated in my copending application, Ser. No. 861,703, filed Sept. 29, 1969. The clamp shown in FIG. 5 is simply a device similar to a C- clamp having one leg 20 fixed to the post 19. The outer pad 21 is then adapted to engage the inner surface of the fender 22. A felt pad 23 and movable plate 24 may be used to protect the surface of the fender.

At its lower end, the post 19 is provided with adjustable ground engaging pads 25. These pads may be carried on screw threaded members 26 threadably engaged with threads formed in the base of the post 19. Thus, the pads can be lowered into contact with the ground to bear the weight of the carrier. By screwing the device a little further, the carrier can actually be raised.

The clamping members 15 are ad ustably disposed near the upper end of each post. This member may be clamped in position by means of a set screw or the like. Also, at the upper end of the post 19, the angular member 17 is telescoped into the post. Thus this member can also be slid upward relative to the post 19. A clamping screw 28 may be threaded into the post 19in position to clamp the vertical part of the member l7 to prevent that member from dropping into the post.

In use, the carrier is carried by the car on the four posts 19 which may be clamped to the car as described. The box 10 is adjusted as to height by sliding the members 15 upward or downward on the posts and then clamping them in proper position. It may be adjusted laterally on the lateral members 14 and then clamped into place by using the members 13. Similarly the top 12 may be collapsed onto the box 11 by sliding the members 17 into the post 19 and then clamping each one in position by the screw 28.

In order to remove the car easily from beneath the carrier, it is possible to spread the posts laterally. To do this, the box 10 is first allowed to rest on top of the car. The clamps to the car are then released, and the posts 19 are adjustably spread. The ground engaging pads 25 are then run down to engage theground and raise the box 10 from the car. Since the posts 19 are spread and the box 10 is raised, the car can then be readily driven away.

The carrier may then be opened by raising the top 12 simply by sliding the members 17 upward in the posts 19 and clamping them in a raised position. Suitable side curtains 29 may be used to provide walls enclosing a shelter for sleeping if desired. On the other hand, if it is desired to leave the shelter in a camp while using the car, the pads 25 can be adjusted downwardly till they engage the ground, or until they raise the carrier. The clamps to the car can then be released, and the car driven away. At this time, the box 11 can be lowered to open the shelter by releasing the clamping member 15 and al-. lowing the box 11 to drop. This, then, would provide a shelter having a floor off the ground for protection against bugs and reptiles, and still easy to enter and simple to collapse and carry.

I claim: 1. A carrier adapted for use on an automobile comprising post means adapted to be clamped to said automobile, base means positioned in a horizontal plane and adjustably clamped to said post means at each of a plurality of horizontally spaced points for vertical and lateral movement, and top means conforming to and adapted to close said base means, said top means being adjustable vertically and laterally relative to each of said points on said post means independently of said base means.

2. The device of claim 1 in which clamping members embrace said post means for vertical adjustment, lateral members on said clamping members and means on said base means embracing said lateral members whereby said base means is adjustable both laterally and vertically.

3. The device of claim 2 in which angular means are telescopically and adjustably disposed in said post means, said angular means including lateral portions, means on said top adjustably engaging said lateral portions.

4. The device of claim 1 in which adjustable ground engaging means are carried by said post means, said ground engaging means being adapted to support said carrier from the ground by means of said posts.

5. The device of claim 3 in which adjustable means are adjustably engaged at a lower end of each post, ground engaging means on said adjustable means, said ground engaging means being thereby adjustable to support said carrier from the ground. 

1. A carrier adapted for use on an automobile comprising post means adapted to be clamped to said automobile, base means positioned in a horizontal plane and adjustably clamped to said post means at each of a plurality of horizontally spaced points for vertical and lateral movement, and top means conforming to and adapted to close said base means, said top means being adjustable vertically and laterally relative to each of said points on said post means independently of said base means.
 2. The device of claim 1 in which clamping members embrace said post means for vertical adjustment, lateral members on said clamping members and means on said base means embracing said lateral members whereby said base means is adjustable both laterally and vertically.
 3. The device of claim 2 in which angular means are telescopically and adjustably disposed in said post means, said angular means including lateral portions, means on said top adjustably engaging said lateral portions.
 4. The device of claim 1 in which adjustable ground engaging means are carried by said post means, said ground engaging means being adapted tO support said carrier from the ground by means of said posts.
 5. The device of claim 3 in which adjustable means are adjustably engaged at a lower end of each post, ground engaging means on said adjustable means, said ground engaging means being thereby adjustable to support said carrier from the ground. 